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New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert

This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, Dec. 18.

A gyrfalcon was discovered in Hampton Marsh north of the Route 101 causeway on Dec. 14 during the annual Coastal Christmas Bird Count. It has been seen in various sections of that area of the marsh since then and was last reported on the 17th. At least one peregrine falcon and one merlin have also been seen in Hampton Marsh during the past week.Snowy owls continued to be reported in New Hampshire during the past week including one at the Kollsman Sports Fields Complex in Merrimack on Dec. 14 and 15, one at Chickering Farm on River Road in Walpole on the 15th, one in Rye near Petey's Seafood Restaurant on the 17th, and several reports of up-to eight in the Hampton and Seabrook area during the past week.

The Townsend's warbler previously reported was again seen along the shoreline north of the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye and was last reported on Dec. 14. It was most easily seen foraging in the wrack line on the beach sometimes in the company of several yellow-rumped warblers.

A clay-colored sparrow was seen along River Road in Stratham on Dec. 14 and 16.

A rough-legged hawk was seen in Hampton Marsh on Dec. 16.

A northern shrike was seen in Chatham on Dec. 13.

A snow goose was seen flying over Hampton on Dec. 12.

An Iceland gull was seen in Hampton on Dec. 18.

Three Lapland longspurs were seen at the Nashua Airport on Dec. 14.

Three northern pintails were seen migrating south along the coast on Dec. 15.

Additional highlights of the annual Coastal Christmas Bird Count included: a redhead and a Eurasian wigeon on Great Bay, a female king eider in Hampton, two glaucous gulls, a dovekie, a thick-billed murre, a yellow-breasted chat at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, a Lapland longspur, an American pipit, and 26 rusty blackbirds.

Two rusty blackbirds were seen in Pittsfield on Dec. 12.

A great egret was seen along the coast in North Hampton on Dec. 12.

Late-migrating songbirds reported during the past week included a Baltimore oriole, two eastern towhees, and four yellow-bellied sapsuckers.

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This message is also available by phone recording: call 224-9909 and press 2 as directed or ask to be transferred. If you have seen any interesting birds recently, you can leave a message at the end of the recording or send your sightings to the RBA via e-mail at: birdsetc@nhaudubon.org.

Please put either "bird sighting" or "Rare Bird Alert" in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing address and phone number. The RBA is also available on-line at the New Hampshire Audubon web site, www.nhaudubon.org.